In Madagascar, the government has set the price per kilogram of rice. For several weeks, this food, basic food on the Big Island, has continued to increase. The prices of the different rice varieties at the grocery stores vary between 2200 and 2500 Ariarys (between 0.50 and 0.50 euros). Duties that Malagasy households can no longer afford.
In the Anosibe district, inside the capital’s largest wholesale market, most merchants heard the news about rice pricing in the morning. Their prices have not changed and few agree to talk about this topic that worries them. On Friday night, the Prime Minister announced that the price of a kilo of imported rice must not exceed 1,925 ariary.
Naivo, a wholesaler, has in his hands a newspaper, the front page, a photo of the Prime Minister and an indication of the price set the day before: “It is not possible to accept their decision. No one here can follow it because we buy very expensive rice from importers. They sell it to us for 2000 Ariarysle kilos. ”
By limiting the price of imported rice, the government also hopes to lower the price of local rice. In another time, Dina offers nine varieties of this grain, over 2000 Ariary: “If it is the state that supplies the rice to us at a low price and says that we will sell it at the price it has set.” , then we could do it without problems! But the rice we have right now, we will not sell it, she exclaims. Our margin is already low. Anyway, we have all the invoices from our suppliers to prove our good faith. ”
An application of the measure was announced on Monday
Three kilometers away, in the Mahamasina market, grocery stores have not changed their prices either. Tinah, a retailer, receives her deliveries from Anosibe wholesalers: “I was very surprised this morning when I read that the state would force us to lower our prices. You can not buy expensive rice and sell it cheaply. We are in a period when there is a little less rice so the price increases. It happens every year. ”
Contacted, Minister of Trade and Industry Lantosoa Rakotomalala indicates that the price was determined in agreement with representatives of the entire industry. “There was no limit. We did math. This award did not turn out that way. We have already made raids on the markets to train traders. The application of this award will be visible from Monday, she explains.
Every year, Madagascar imports rice, local production not enough. At the end of the month, 100,000 tonnes of imported rice are expected. “There will be plenty of rice at the import level. So it will balance the price. There is also the harvest for the local rice coming next week. It will complete the offer and it will also stabilize the price, she points out.
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